Hinduism

A person who follows Hinduism is called a Hindu. Hinduism originated around the Indus Valley near the River Indus in Pakistan over 3000 years ago. The 2001 census recorded that 19,000 Hindus live in Birmingham and 642 Hindus are recorded as living in the Sparkbrook ward. Approximately 392 Hindus live in Balsall Heath.

Hindus recognise three principle Gods. These are Brahma the creator of the universe, Vishnu the preserver of the universe and Shiva the destroyer of the universe.

Hindus follow different traditions of worship dependant of which form of Brahman or Supreme God that they follow. One of the most popular forms of God is Krishna, who is believed to be a reincarnation of Vishnu.

Hinduism has many scriptures, mostly written in Sanskrit (a classical language of India dating back to as early as 1700 BC). The most famous Hindu scripture is Bhagavad-gita, which means ‘The song of God’. The Bhagavad-gita teaches Hindus how to develop love for God and his creation. The Bhagavad- gita also teaches Hindus that all living beings and creatures are eternal and spiritual by nature so Hindus traditionally lead a peaceful life and will not eat meat, fish or eggs.

Like Sikhs and Buddhists, Hindus believe in reincarnation. This means that when we die we will be born again. They also believe in Karma meaning that what we do in this life determines what will happen to us in our next life. The goal is to escape the cycle of birth, death and rebirth and to return to the spiritual world.

Hindus worship the image of God at home or in temples. Most Hindu homes have a shrine that has been made by the family. This can be a small altar, a room or a picture of the God that they worship. When worshipping at home Hindus pray to the shrine and make offerings of water, fruit and incense to the God they are worshipping.

A Hindu Temple also has shrines dedicated to the different Hindu Gods. The Temple building has a central shrine which represents the heart of the worshipper and a tower which represents the journey of the spirit to heaven when a person reaches peace with God.

Hindus believe that pilgrimage is an important part of their worship. Every twelve years Hindus from all over the world gather at Allahabad to bathe in the waters of the River Ganges and the River Jumna. Hindus believe that bathing in these rivers will wash away their sins.

Hindus follow ancient religious texts called The Vedas. They believe that The Vedas define the truth of God and were sent to scholars directly from God and passed down through generations by word of mouth. In respect of this, Hindus worship through chants or mantras performed at various ceremonies.

Hindus celebrate many holy days within their calendar but the Festival of Lights also known as Diwali is the most well known.

Diwali, also called Deepavali, is a major Indian festival which is very significant in Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism. Known as the “Festival of Lights,” it symbolises the victory of good over evil, and lamps are lit as a sign of celebration and hope for humankind. To celebrate the festival, many Hindus use fireworks.

There are several beliefs regarding the origin of Diwali. The most repeated version is that Hindus celebrate Diwali to mark the time when Lord Rama achieved victory over Ravana. Some also view it as the day Krishna defeated the demon Narakasura or in honour of the day Bali went to rule the nether world, obeying the order of Vishnu.

Diwali is a colloquial name used in North India, while the festival is formally called Deepavali in South India. It usually occurs in October/November. Hindus and Sikhs alike regard it as a celebration of life and use the occasion to strengthen family and social relationships. For Hindus it is one of the most important festivals, and in some Hindu calendars it represents the beginning of the year.